Puss Furever After
by mintyroses
Summary: When Puss is turned into a man by a potion, he has to get a princess to kiss him to change him back before the week is up. However, the girl he rescues is a small town 'ugly' girl who doesn't know a thing about being a princess or the fact that he's a cat. Together, they search for a princess and the culprit, uncovering secrets and maybe even love along the way. (Human?Puss x OC)
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: **_Soooo, recently I was re-watching Shrek and couldn't help but think of how Puss doesn't really have that big of a role in the movies. I've always been a huge fan of Puss and watching Shrek Forever After and how the drink turned Shrek human gave me an idea. _

_I'm not a very good writer but I do try my best to write and contribute to the fanfiction world so that people in the future won't complain how there's not enough of certain ships or something! I decided a random OC would be best for this story, seeing as how Kitty Softpaws doesn't really exist in the Shrek universe? Plus, Puss doesn't really have anyone in the movies, anyway – he's just a sidekick/friend on a journey. _

_But this time, it's his time to shine once again! _

_Anyway, this might be more of a short story than anything: it's just to put my ideas down and it'll be wrapped up quickly! Nothing too adventurous for my amateur writing self! NO rude or mean reviews, though! They're not appreciated but you're welcome to provide any constructive criticism if you have any! :) _

_**Disclaimer:** I do not own the image for the cover, nor do I own Shrek or Puss either! The only thing I do own is my OC and the idea? Kind of. _

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**Chapter One:**

Puss sat alone behind the door that separated him from the other folks in the Poison Apple bar. Now that he was with Shrek, no one dared to ask him to do any villainous activity. And with all the gold coins he had been given from previous jobs, he was able to do whatever he wanted.

He had a room in the bar all to himself, with all the milk he could want – he was very much what they would call 'a free gato'.

Lifting his hat up, he brought up the small shot glass filled with milk to his lips. Taking a lick, he purred.

"Ah, now this is good leche," he mumbled to himself in satisfaction.

Just when he was about to stick out his tongue for another taste of the creamy delicacy, the door swung open and banged against the wall. The sudden noise caused him to jump five feet into the air, back arched and hair on end as he screeched loudly.

Doris stared at him with a drawn eyebrow. "Uh-"

"Do you have no manners, woman?! How dare you enter my room?" Puss declared, dusting off his hat and placing it atop his head again. His emerald feline eyes glanced down at the spilt milk and he huffed, his shoulders drooping. "And now look at what you have done! You have destroyed perfectly good milk!"

Doris rolled her eyes. "Well, I would say I'm sorry but I only came to give you some more of the good stuff."

"Good stuff, ey?" Puss raised an eyebrow as he glanced at the bottle the very unattractive...female was offering him. The label looked quite different from the milk he always purchased. He stuck his feet up on the table, crossing one boot over the other.

"And what is it about this 'good stuff' that makes it so special, huh?"

"If you wanna know that, you might wanna come out and ask her yourself."

_Her?_ he thought, suddenly confused. He didn't know of a 'her' in the town of Far Far Away. Of course, he was friendly with all the females, human or not, but none that he was very interested in to offer or accept a drink with.

Puss eyed Doris from head to toe before using a paw to beckon her forward. When she was near him, he grabbed the milk bottle. Inspecting it, he hummed to himself.

_It does not look poisoned, _he thought. _That is a good sign in itself. _

"Who is this other gato that dares feed me?" he asked, narrowing his feline eyes into slits.

"I don't know? She said it was for you and then left. So I thought you'd like it 'cos...well you're a cat, aren't ya?" Doris shrugged. "I think she's gonna be back, so you can ask her that question when she comes."

Doris' assumptions weren't very reassuring.

"So, you are not 100% sure, si?"

Doris rolled her eyes. "That's why I said 'I think'."

Puss stroked his whiskers in deep thought. On one hand, he didn't want to drink whatever it was that was brought in. But then again, Doris was very capable when it came to drinks and it was brought in at the Poison Apple Bar too.

It wasn't as if it was found in a trash with any warning signs.

When Doris opened the door to leave, he caught sight of a rather good-looking female cat who eyed him with a mischievous grin.

"Holy frijoles," he muttered in awe, staring at her with wide eyes. It turned into a grin of his own when he hummed.

_Perhaps it was her? _he thought.

"Doris, do you not think her beauty makes her seem trustworthy?" he asked randomly. Doris glanced at the cat he was looking at before turning around. She scoffed, her eyebrows drawn tightly together.

"Beauty?" She let out a loud, scary honk that resembled a snort. "Who're you kidding? I caught a glimpse of that cat and she was as ratchet as Cinderella!"

He looked at her, dubiously. "You're crazy _and_ blind, woman! Cinderella is a beau-"

"Oh, hush. I'm just sayin' that that cat," she pointed at the pretty, black cat, batting her long eyelashes at him, "was definitely not the one that left that bottle."

He stroked his curly whiskers, humming to himself in thought.

_In that case, I guess it is up to me Puss in Boots to investigate!_ he thought, straightening his shoulders and adjusting his hat.

He got up, the new milk bottle in hand and walked past Doris, the other hand grazing the handle of his sword settled in his belt. He eyed all the customers that sat, chatting and drinking. Walking slowly, he approached the female cat, stroking his whiskers with the other hand.

"May I ask if you ordered some milk for me?" he asked, seductively. The cat looked him up and down, raising an eyebrow in confusion.

"Uh, no?"

"Oh." He wasn't disappointed – oh no, his gut feeling was telling him that he should be wary. All the orange fur on his body stuck up as his eyes flit from side to side.

"But, I think I should have. You _are_ quite good-looking."

"No, Senorita, that is you. Perhaps I should be the one buying you some leche," he said, adding in a sly wink for effect.

"I honestly don't know what you see in him; he's a naked cat who loves to role-play." Doris stood watching them, cleaning the inside of a big jug as she did so.

Puss hissed at Doris, his green eyes narrowing into annoyed slits. "Do not mess with me!"

The female cat giggled a little at this, giving him a smouldering look over the martini glass she was holding in her paw.

"Well, I think you are cute, naked or not."

Puss shot Doris a 'Ha, take that!' look, one corner of his lips curved up in a mischievous smirk. But, even though he wanted to greatly focus on the beautiful feline, the cogs in his mind were more focused on something else.

The smirk disappeared from his face as he realised: whoever had come into the bar and placed the leche, was gone. He stared at the bottle in his hand before casting a glance at Doris who shrugged.

"It's just milk, pussy cat. It's not like you're gonna die or anythin'."

He stood there for a brief moment before glancing at the female cat who's name he still didn't know.

"Shall we share this leche, then?" he offered.

"Leche?"

"It is Spanish for milk, beautiful," he said, inching closer to her.

She giggled. "I don't drink milk, actually."

Puss was shocked. _What kind of cat does not drink milk!?_ He thought, flabbergasted. He tried to recover and maintain a neutral expression.

"Well, perhaps you just have not found the right person to drink it with."

"My, aren't you smooth?"

Puss chuckled. "So I have been told." He then pushed the bottle closer to her, and she eyed it with her bright blue eyes.

"Hmm, you are very tempting. But, this is more of a case of I _cannot_ drink milk."

His eyes widened; that made more sense to him. He cleared his throat, scratching the back of his furry neck.

"My apologies, senorita-"

"Call me Selena."

"Selena," he tested the name on his lips and then grinned. Getting the attention of the ladies was not a hard feat – he knew he was pretty good.

"I have been ignorant. But perhaps you will join me for dinner, then?"

She smiled at him, eyes glinting with something playful and flirtatious. With a finger, she tapped his nose.

"Of course, but not tonight. I am a busy kitty, you see," she said with a wink.

After paying, she got up and walked out of the bar, the scent of her still lingering next to Puss.

"I will see you again, Selena!"

She only waved over her shoulder without giving him a second glance. He sighed.

Though he was a ladies-cat, it was still difficult to get a proper date.

Everyone was busy these days.

Everyone but him.

Shrek and Donkey didn't have any new or recent problems to deal with so Puss usually hung out with them at dinner and parties. They still had their own lives to tend to, though, so that meant Puss was usually left alone, doing his own thing during the day.

He would help anyone in need, and often helped out at the orphanages. He loved the place which only reminded him of his Mama and even Humpty.

Puss sighed; Humpty would have loved the life he had in Far Far Away. If he was still around, they could have been having the adventures of a lifetime together.

He shook his head. He didn't want to dwell on the past anymore. Life was quite relaxing, with good milk and beautiful ladies.

_Too_ relaxing.

Effortlessly jumping off the high stool he was sat on, he casually walked back to his private room. He shut the door and eyed the bottle in his hand. He wanted to drink it, but did not fully trust it either.

_Perhaps I should wait for the __cat__ to come back. It is not mine to be drinking, _he thought, playing with the label absentmindedly. The more he was putting it off, the more tempting it was becoming.

Every time he would glance away, his eyes would dart back to the bottle.

_No, I should not! _

_But only a sip…_

_No!_ his mind screamed.

The internal debate continued for a few seconds before a growl left his lips.

"There is no use. I must take a sip," he said in desperation to no in particular, tilting the bottle to pour himself a shot.

Sticking out his tongue hesitantly, he tasted the cold drink. He slapped his lips together a couple of times to figure out it's texture and sweetness.

All of a sudden, the creaminess hit him and he purred in delight, despite himself.

"What was I fearing? This is just very good milk!" he scoffed, shaking his head.

With that, he took the bottle and chugged it down, unable to stop himself from divulging in the creamy goodness. He hadn't indulged himself like that in a long time – he was always able to control himself.

But something about that milk...it made him want more.

He slammed the bottle down with a loud thud after emptying it. With a satisfied sigh, he wiped his lips with a paw, leaning back against his chair.

"Now that hits the spot." He patted his stomach in content, smiling to himself when all of a sudden his stomach rumbled. Puss stared down at the culprit.

"I just filled you! What is it you want, belly?!"

It only rumbled in response. And what was unusual, was that he could not really _feel_ the rumble. That usually told him it was not hunger. He rubbed his forehead in irritation. He was suddenly too tired to want to deal with anything.

"I am talking to my stomach. I have officially gone loco," he declared to the air. After a few seconds, his eyes became droopy as the vision around him started to blur.

"Huh, it seems I am going blind now, too."

Before he could really pin-point what was going on, he was out cold.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two**

"Ugh, why does my head feel like a giant rock?"

As his eyes adjusted to his surroundings – which was still his room in the Poison Apple Bar – he sat up. Puss felt weirder than usual like he wasn't himself, but he shook it off.

_Just a very nice, long nap,_ he thought. Yawning, he stretched his arms and cracked his neck. Groggily, he reached up with his hands to rub his eyes when he froze.

_Wait, hands?_ he thought, suddenly confused.

He stuck them out in front of him, staring at the now very human, tanned hands attached to his very human limbs. A strangled gasp left his throat and he reached up to wrap his hands around them as if wrangling himself.

_This cannot be! This must be a dream. A very bizarre dream,_ he thought, trying not to panic.

Puss reached up to hesitantly touch his face: he hoped it hadn't turned human, too. He liked being a cat – that's what he was used to all his life and he never had any complaint.

Except maybe when he was interrupted one too many times during a fight because he had to cough up a hairball...or chasing lights.

That was indeed annoying.

But other than that, he was quite satisfied with being a cat.

When his unusual fingers came in contact with skin and not fur, his shoulders drooped and he stared blankly at the door.

"Oh, this is bad," he said, his voice sounding like a loud grumble in the small room. "Very, very bad."

His eyes involuntarily glanced over at the empty bottle and just as he was about to look away, something dark caught his eye. The label that was stuck on the front part of the bottle had something written on it.

With a finger, he attempted to tear it away from the bottle. It was quite hard, considering he was used to paws and claws.

What was worse, was that he couldn't peel it off at all.

He growled under his breath.

_These useless __sticks for fingers__! They are of no use at all,_ he yelled to himself, grinding his teeth. After several tries, he managed to pry the label away and flipped it around.

Puss read the vague description on the label out loud.

"Transform yourself from bleak to beauty for your Forever After with a beautiful princess of your own. Let your worries be gone with just one sip."

He then squinted as much as he could with his useless, human eyes to read the tiny words at the very bottom:

'**WARNING**: Potion only lasts subject for one week. Failure to obtain true love's kiss by the end means subject will be forever stuck in the changed body. Good luck.'

He growled, chucking the label on the floor. He could not believe that someone as intelligent as him could get involved with something as ridiculous as a love potion! How was he supposed to find a princess?

And true love? That seemed to be the only solution to anything in Far Far Away.

Where was he possibly going to find true love, anyway? He liked his bachelor, flirtatious lifestyle.

It gave him freedom.

_I am a solo gato,_ he thought, scoffing. _I do not need true love to confine me forever. _

Puss narrowed his eyes at the empty bottle that had gotten him into the very predicament.

"Why is it that only true love and princesses can solve these problems!?" he exclaimed to himself in the empty room. He then buried his head in his hands, annoyed at all the skin he could feel.

He felt utterly exposed and naked, more so than he did when he was a cat. His body stiffened, suddenly. He looked down only to squeal at all the skin that was exposed.

He was naked! The only thing that was remotely similar to his cat self was the black Corinthian boots that he had on and the cavalier's hat that he was so fond of.

Other than that, he had no clothes to cover himself. Taking off his hat, he covered the part that needed to be...hidden the most.

Puss let out a relieved sigh; he was glad he was a male – cat or not. The only thing he had to properly cover was under the table.

What he was most curious about was his face. He wanted to know how good he looked – what could he say? He was a curious cat.

But unfortunately, there weren't any mirrors around.

All of a sudden, the door opened and Doris emerged. As soon as her eyes settled on his figure, her jaw dropped and she adjusted the tray she was holding to be placed beside her head. Puss sighed to himself.

_This could not get any worse, _he thought, annoyed.

"Who are you and what have you done to Puss?!" Doris questioned, grabbing the tray she was holding flat against her face. "And why are you _naked?!"_ She was getting ready to throw the silver platter at him if he even moved a muscle.

He, however, was not in the mood to get pummelled and went to put his 'hands' up beside his head in a surrender stance, when he went against it. He had to hold the hat against the thing that was dangling and he didn't want to drop it to find out what Doris' reaction would be.

"Doris, it is I, Puss-"

"You's lyin'! Puss is a cat!"

"Well, yes, that is what I'm trying to explain. I think perh-"

"I don't know what you did to him but you better get your handsome, naked butt out of here before I hurt you," Doris threatened, one drawn eyebrow twitching with what looked like anger.

He raised an eyebrow. "Do not be ridiculous, woman! I said I am P-"

Before he could get a word through, the silver tray suddenly filled his line of vision. It was sailing right at him and just before he was knocked out cold, a meek meow left him.

Puss woke up, head hurting and ears ringing. He groaned as he tried to get up. It proved to be a difficult task, considering he wasn't used to walking or standing with human legs. They wobbled for some time as he tried to stand up but once he got them to stop, he worked on trying to get his vision to adjust.

Blinking a couple of times seemed to work and he looked around, only to see that he was now behind the Poison Apple Bar.

It was clear that he had been kicked out by Doris and he sighed, dejected. His shoulders drooped and he looked down to see that he was still naked. With a more feminine scream than he would have liked, he raced to the woods and hid behind a bush.

_Now, I wait for an unsuspecting person to come past and I shall rob them of their clothes!_ He chuckled to himself mischievously, revelling in his plan. Just then, a carriage bound by and grabbing a nearby rock, Puss chucked it at the driver.

It wasn't his best plan, but he was desperate.

Seeing him fall over, he quickly raced over with his long and sturdier legs (than he liked) and tore off his clothes like a maniac. As the people in the carriage got out to see what the commotion was about, Puss ran back into the bush to change quietly.

He let out a few deep breaths, eyes wide. As he quickly got dressed into what he could only describe as 'ugly human clothes', he scurried deeper into the woods and to the only people he knew who could help.

He can help_ a cat in need!_ he thought as he tip-toed to Shrek's swampy home. _Well, I am now a man in need. _He cracked his head from side to side before letting out a gulp.

He was a brave cat, but now that he was in a body that was not his, he did not know what to do. For once, Puss in Boots was speechless.

He reached up to knock on the door when his eyes took the sight of the hand that belonged...to him. He blinked and couldn't help but stare.

_This is...this atrocity is a part of me,_ he couldn't help but think in disgust._ But perhaps it could be_ _worse. I could be on my own! _

Puss scoffed when he thought of it. He knew that Shrek and Donkey would help him out in need.

In confidence, he knocked on the door with a hand, something that he was still not used to, and waited. The door opened to reveal a grumpy Shrek – the usual.

"Donkey, I already told you I ain't inte-" Shrek's voice trailed off as he stared at the peculiar ginger-haired, green-eyed man in front of him. "Uh, who are ya?"

Puss cleared his throat, straightening his shoulders. "Boss, it is I, Puss!"

Shrek stared at him for a few seconds before he let out a huge burst of laughter.

"Oh my—Puss?! The cat?! You?!" He bent down, holding his knees as he laughed.

Puss, on the other hand, was far from amused. He stared blankly at the dying ogre in front of him.

"Yes, it is me."

"Last time I checked, Puss was a cat and, I'm sorry to burst your insane bubble, but _you_, are not."

"I too am very well aware of that! Boss, can you not distinguish me from my voice?!"

Shrek rolled his eyes and said, "Yeah, sure. You sound like every other Spanish person in town".

He then dragged Puss towards the swamp bath just outside his door.

"What are you doing?"

"Just take a good look at yourself, will ya?" He forced Puss' head down to look at his reflection.

"Well, I—woah," he cut himself off when his eyes met with the reflection. He was looking at his...quite handsome human self in the dirty, swampy river. He was part surprised that he could even see his reflection in the revolting muddy swamp, but the majority of him was more surprised at how _good_ he looked.

_I should not be so surprised. They call me a ladies cat for a reason,_ he thought. _I suppose__ I am __now a __ladies man, too._

He reached up to touch his dishevelled ginger hair that shone golden in the sun, revelling in the silky texture. His eyes were green – their natural colour, but the feline touch was gone. The usual slit was not there, except replaced by the more...what say, _human_ pupil.

"Would you stop admiring yourself?"

"What?" Puss asked innocently, looking up at an annoyed Shrek. "I am quite handsome, you know."

Shrek just gave him a hard stare in response, and he put his hands up in surrender.

"I am only stating the facts!" Puss shook his head, trying to focus on the task at hand. "Look, boss, something has happened to me. I drank this special milk that turned me into-"

"_Special_ milk?" Shrek clenched his jaw and ran his huge, green hands down his face. "You've gotta be kiddin-ugh, look, I'm not in the mood for any jokes. Go find someone else to annoy."

As Shrek turned around to stalk off, Puss ran to stand in front of him, stopping him.

"Boss, you must listen to me! I am your friend, Puss!" By now, he was getting desperate. He even went as far as to meow, but it didn't work as well as it would have if he was an actual cat.

Shrek only looked at him as if he had grown two heads.

_This is a disaster, _he thought, distressed.

He hadn't thought of how the others would react to his new body.

Nevertheless, he continued. "We helped save Fiona and the other princesses. I was sent to kill you by the rich king. Well, now he is dead, but that is not the poin-" He stopped himself, clearing his throat at the look Shrek was giving him.

"Everyone in this land knows about that."

Puss growled and swore in Spanish under his breath but let out a deep breath. "Okay, no problema, boss. I shall prove to you that I am Puss and then you shall see!"

"Oh yeah? Well, then go 'head." Shrek leaned down with narrowed eyes. Puss always knew Shrek was huge, but now that he was human and much larger than his cat form, he didn't seem so gigantic and intimidating.

"Oho, I shall, boss." Puss chuckled mischievously; this should work.

It always did.

He reached up to take off his hat and held it up to his chin. He then stared up at Shrek with an innocent, wide-eyed expression, accompanying it with a pout.

_Ha!_ _This should teach __him__ not to me-_

"Wow, and here I thought you couldn't get any creepier but now ya tryna steal his trademark too? You really have outdone yourself," Shrek said, reeling back in disgust.

"W-what?!" Puss spluttered, dropping the hat on the ground. "That is _my_ trademark! It is no one else's but mine!"

"Look, kid-"

"Kid?" Puss exclaimed, offended. After placing his hat on his head, he pointed a finger at Shrek in defiance. "I am no _kid_, amigo! I am a man!" He paused for a second. "Well, I am a cat that got turned into a man so I am technically a man-cat-"

"I don't care what you are!" Shrek bellowed. "Get outta my house, ya rotten kid!"

Before he could try and argue or convince Shrek, the latter picked him up as if he as a sack of potatoes and chucked him away from his house. Puss landed on his butt, luckily, but groaned, the pain much greater than if he was to fall like a cat.

"This cannot get any worse," he grumbled to himself, dusting his hat and fixing the feather before placing it on his head. He sighed and sat on the ground, staring at nothing before putting his face into his hands.

_What am I to do now that—wait, _he cut his thought short when he recalled the paper he had read earlier that day. It had said that the spell would be broken if he got a kiss from a princess.

Puss smirked. _And I am Puss! No woman can resist me! _

He went to stroke his whiskers when he came into contact with naked lips instead. With a yelp, he took his hand away from his mouth and shook his head.

If he was to be a believable human, then he would have to get used to his body and take control of the new situation. With a boost of confidence, he stood up and dusted off his bottom. It would be easy to find a princess in Far Far Away.

The place was _filled_ with them and all he had to do was get one to kiss him.

_This is __going to be a__ piece of cake!_ he thought, chuckling to himself as he walked towards his destination.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N:** _As always my writing isn't perfect and the character of Puss is obviously OOC :( I'm sorry to disappoint but I'm trying!_

**I don't own anything! **

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"If you're not a prince, why should I kiss you?" Snow White asked lips pulled back into a sneer. Puss resisted the urge to roll his eyes; she was as stuck up as he remembered.

"Because, uh, I am handsome?"

The princess rolled her eyes and kicked him out of her home, Dopey giving him the fist from behind her dress. The cat, now man, hissed, but of course it wasn't as effective as it would have been if he had been in his original form.

He had refrained from telling people he was Puss In Boots and instead walked door to door to find a princess that would be willing to kiss him. Rapunzel was too busy dealing with her fake hair to spare time; Cinderella kissed him but it didn't work and Sleeping Beauty...well she was busy sleeping.

Puss did steal a kiss from her but it didn't wake her up nor did it change him back. Thinking back to what the bottle had said, he scowled.

True love turned out to be an absolute must in this situation and that was enough to put him in a sour mood.

_This is ridiculous! __True love, pfft. I should get enough from these kisses. No woman should be able to resist my charm, _he thought, annoyed as he stalked away from yet another princess.

The last option he had was Snow White even though he wasn't particularly fond of her. She was a feisty one and though he certainly had respect and was attracted to strong women...Snow white was...just plain arrogant.

Puss stalked off in the opposite direction, away from the town and the princesses. The sun was setting and the first day was nearly over. He sighed as he looked up at the sky that was turning darker by the second; different shades of purple mixed with colours that resembled a deep orange.

It was soothing to look at, but the frustration from the days' events settled within him and the sense of calmness immediately disappeared.

He aimlessly walked into the forest, kicking around pebbles. Puss didn't even bother looking at his surroundings and frankly, he didn't care.

"This is not a good sign," he mumbled to himself. Already exhausted, he seated himself on a rock, carving random letters on the floor with his sword.

Suddenly, a high-pitched scream from behind him caught his attention. He spun around everything in his body alert. If he had fur on his body, they would have stood up in attention – in this case, he had to be satisfied with the human hair on his body sticking up instead.

He was well aware that the sound had come from deep in the woods. Puss grabbed his sword and ventured through bushes before coming to a clearing.

Luckily his human figure wasn't large and was lean enough to hide behind places people would not notice.

The spot he had chosen was behind a tree and poking his head out, his eyes widened. He watched a young, mocha-skinned woman being dragged out from a carriage and into a tiny, vintage cottage by two large men. He narrowed his eyes, trying to make out her face, but it was hard considering it was covered by a brown bag.

"Let me go, you-you evil butts!" she cried, struggling in their hold.

_Butts? _Puss thought, raising his eyebrow. He didn't know whether he was to be amused or surprised. The woman wasn't well-versed in insults, that was plain to see.

Well, hear.

Puss' ears twitched, suddenly alert of his surroundings. His eyes drank in the area quickly; no one would get very suspicious of the place, considering the garden seemed to be well taken care of.

What Puss couldn't get his head wrapped around, however, was the fact that there was a nice looking cottage in the middle of the forest.

_It is a bit __too__ nice,_ he observed, eyes narrowed.

He wanted to save the woman but could not risk being caught. He was not as agile as he was when he was a cat; his human self would only slow him down.

_But I am Puss in Boots, after all. I was the great cat burglar Santiago de Compostela and was never caught! And, if I am in luck, she might be a princess who is desperate for love, _he thought, proudly.

After a good second of thinking, the rational part of him won him over and he slowly inched closer to the cottage. Rolling through the bushes as stealthily as he could, he pressed himself against the wall of the house and looked over the side to see the two men exit the house.

"Get me out of here! Please, let me out! Someone!"

He could hear the panic in the woman's voice that seemed to come from above him. The men ignored her wails and glanced around briefly, causing Puss to settle back into his hiding position. As he watched them enter the carriage and ride away, he turned and jumped onto the wall.

Using his sword as a grip for one hand, he used the brick wall to climb up and swing through the window, breaking the glass. He rolled onto the floor and flew into a standing position with his sword pointing towards the ground.

"Do not fear as Puss is here!" he said in confidence. "It is your lucky day, senor-...ita?" His firm voice faltered as he stared at the woman in front of him.

He had expected her to be a beautiful woman – a princess, more precisely.

But she didn't look it.

Puss believed all women were beautiful and though there was a sense of beauty in her (he couldn't see it, honestly), she wasn't his type. She was far better looking than the ogre females he had seen and Doris, so that counted for something, he supposed.

His eyes travelled to the outfit she was wearing; a simple, dark blue villager dress, the skirt of it ripped and dirty.

She had beautiful brown skin, but small dark eyes, a slightly large nose and big lips. She wasn't ugly, but not gorgeous either.

Definitely not someone he would flirt with ever.

_And this is who I believed could be a princess?_ He thought, wanting to stab himself with the sword. _This is ridiculous! Why must I be cursed with this fate?! _

As he was having an internal meltdown, the woman looked at him with confused eyes.

"Um, you could have just used the front door?"

He grumpily looked in the direction she was pointing at; the door was left wide open. His shoulders hunched.

"Of course, I knew that. Now spill, woman! What are you doing here in this place?"

She face-palmed. "I didn't want to come here! I was kidnapped from my home-town and I managed to run away at first but then they caught me and shoved me in here."

Puss slowly put the sword he was aiming at her face, down but still scrutinised her with squinted green eyes.

"Hmm, and how shall I know if what you are telling me is the truth?"

"Well, I guess you're just going to have trust my word on this. How did you know I was here so fast anyway? Aren't we in the middle of nowhere?"

"Indeed we are," he said, reaching up to stroke his whiskers...that he didn't have. Grumbling to himself, he brought his hand down reluctantly. "Look, senori—_woman_. Do not ask me so many questions. I witnessed you being brought here and thought to rescue you would be a kind gesture."

"Right. Well, um, thank you for helping me. But we're still technically not out, yet," she said with a sheepish smile. Puss looked around and face-palmed.

They were having a nice 'chit-chat' in the cottage without even moving. Without thinking, he grabbed her arm and dragged her out to the woods.

"W-wait, what are you doing?!" she yelled from behind him. "Are you taking me back home?"

Puss scoffed as he stalked through the path leading towards Far Far Away.

"Of course I am. I have matters of my own that I have to deal with, woman. I am merely a ca—man trying to find his way back."

He wasn't necessarily lying. It was just a small exaggeration. He was on a quest, but she didn't need to know that.

She tugged on his arm, stopping them from moving any further. Puss turned around and faced her with a heavy sigh leaving his lips. The woman stared at him, eyes big with fear.

"I can't go back home! They'll find me there. Please, just let me accompany you for a little while. I promise I can help."

Puss wanted to combat that; how would the woman be able to help him? He was a solo cat. He could do things on his own without a partner!

But...having her around would also help him in a way, too. Perhaps women would find him even more attractive walking beside a girl like her who was definitely not a princess and offer to kiss him!

It was a long stretch – he never put down women like that – but he was desperate.

Plus, his human body slowed him down. A partner was probably the best thing in his situation.

Puss sighed and nodded his head, weakly in response.

"Very well. I suppose you do owe me."

"I _owe_ you?"

"Who saved you from that prison you were in?"

Realisation settled in her eyes and she sheepishly looked down, wringing her hands together.

"You did."

"Exactly."

Puss smirked in victory and they continued to walk in silence. She walked behind him but he preferred it that way. He had meant for them to go in the direction of where Fairy Godmother's house used to be but realising it was getting dark, he decided to stop halfway.

They still needed to find a place to sleep in for the night after all.

So heading in the direction of where Shrek's swamp was instead, seemed to be the safest idea. Which was also a dumb idea, as it was in the opposite direction. Though they turned around yet again, the woman was, surprisingly, quiet.

Puss glanced behind his shoulder reluctantly to see the woman gazing at the surroundings as if she had never seen a forest before. The corner of his lips curled up in amusement, but he said nothing.

After a few seconds, he sighed. It was getting boring and quite frankly a little awkward with none of them saying anything. He didn't really want to initiate a conversation with her but a question had been bugging him; he just wanted to let it out into the open.

He waited for her to walk beside him instead of behind him and cleared his throat, awkwardly.

"If you do not mind," he began; she looked up at him with curious, dark eyes. "Would you perhaps be open to...kissing me?"

She stopped walking abruptly and Puss turned to see why. Her eyes were narrowed, a frown so deep framing her mouth. Her very aura exuded venom and Puss blinked at the sudden animosity he was faced with.

In an instant, she brought her hand down, the outstretched palm making contact with his cheek. A yowl escaped his lips as the force of the contact caused his head to snap to the side almost comically.

Puss spluttered in shock; he couldn't believe that the incessant woman had dared to touch him in such a way.

"You dare hit me?! Who do you think you are?!" he exclaimed. His green eyes had enlarged as he looked at the woman glaring at him, hands on her hips.

"Who do you think _you_ are?! Who in their right minds would ask something like that to someone they just met?"

"What?" Puss responded, innocently. "I was merely asking a question! A no would have been enough, you crazy woman!"

"Did you think that just because I'm from a poor village I would be so shallow as to kiss the first man that comes calling?!"

"Uh, no?" he was confused because that was not what Puss was thinking at all.

"And I'm not a crazy woman," she continued with a huff. "I have a name, thank you very much."

Puss rolled his eyes and muttered, "I do not remember asking for it." She glowered at him. "For someone who was so helpless back in the cottage, you are actually a very nasty woman. Perhaps I should just take you back there," he teased.

Her shoulders seemed to tense up at that, her jaw dropping slightly as fear replaced the anger in her deep eyes.

At the triumphant grin on Puss' face, however, she pursed her lips and shook her head before turning. He was only teasing her but to see her so flustered was amusing.

"What an annoying human being," she muttered under breath as she stomped in the direction they were headed originally.

_Well, you will be shocked to find that I am __indeed __not a__human being!_ he yelled at her in his head. Instead, Puss settled on glaring at her retreating back, rubbing his cheeks.

He was starting to regret the decision of having her join him.

A part of him wanted to punch himself for asking such a foolish question, though. He didn't like her but he still wanted to know what the answer would be. She was a woman with kissable lips, after all.

He was curious. And like he had admitted before: desperate, too, but she still didn't have to hit him.

"She is loco," he muttered angrily under his breath as he got up, following her.

* * *

"We shall make camp here!" Puss declared, standing on top of a rocky hill. It wasn't much, but there was a little barn they could bunk in until the sun rose again.

He was beyond exhausted; it all felt like a silly dream to him. Looking to the side at the woman, he shuddered.

A dream he wanted to wake up from _very_ quickly.

"Here?" the woman replied, looking around as if she was afraid.

"Yes, here."

"Um...are you sure that's a good idea?" she squeaked out, bringing her arms around herself. Puss raised an eyebrow as he settled onto the ground.

"Yes, I am sure—look, if you do not want to stay here then you're welcome to go back. I, on the other hand, would like to get a good nights sleep before the sun rises." With that, he turned his back to her and shut his eyes, willing her to disappear as soon as the morning came.

"I'm...afraid of the dark, though."

Puss nearly snickered at that, pretending to cough instead. "Really?"

"Yeah...is there somewhere else we could stay?" she asked, softly. He sighed, rolling onto his back. She was clearly adamant on not letting him sleep.

"If you want, you can stay in the cave but that place is darker than the pits of hell!"

"So I'm guessing you've been to hell?"

Puss wanted to rip the hair off of his head and hers at this point.

"Wha—no! It was just a figure of speech, woman! Do you want me to help you or not?"

"I want your help!"

"Then do not question me and the way I speak." He cleared his throat. "Now, do exactly what I do."

She nodded eagerly like a little child and sat next to him. He once again shut his eyes and then turned around again, trying to ignore her presence.

"Seriously?" he heard her mutter and he shut his eyes even tighter. After a few seconds, he heard her grunt softly a little. Opening one eye, he peeked over his shoulder to see her back facing him, her body curled up into a ball.

She was shivering.

Puss sighed, gritting his teeth. He didn't want to have anything to do with the woman beside him but...she was a still a woman and he loved women, for cat's sake!

They were his weakness and he wanted to help her in any way she could; the gentleman side of him was coming out.

"You are cold, si?"

The woman stopped quivering to look over at him, dark eyes glistening with fresh tears. His lips curved downwards into a frown as his eyes met with the forlorn expression on her face.

_Now I feel like I am the villain.__ She must be missing her family __and here I am giving her a hard time,_ he thought, feeling more of a jerk as the minutes ticked by.

"Do not cry, senorita!" he said, puffing out his chest in an act of confidence. "We will find what I need and then I shall take you back home, safe and sound. Count on Puss in Boots!"

"Puss...in Boots?" she repeated, sceptically, her eyes wide with fascination.

He nodded. "Si. I am a ca—man named Puss, wearing boots!"

"Puss is a strange name for a man."

"Yes, but you see, it is unique, is it not?"

She nodded with a sigh. "I guess so."

"You guessed right and now you shall not fret."

"So, basically I should just lay my life in the hands of a stranger wearing boots?"

"Well, this stranger did save you!"

Her eyes thoughtful, she nodded, sniffling. "Why are you suddenly being nice to me?"

That caused Puss to stiffen. He cleared his throat and reached up to rub the back of his neck, sheepishly.

"It is cold and dark and we must rely on each other to get through this situation." He then added as an afterthought, "Plus I am a gentleman. I cannot stand to see people, especially lovely women, suffering!"

The woman let out a giggle, shocking the male. He stared at her with wide eyes, as if he hadn't ever heard a girl laugh before.

It was strange only because the smile suited her. It lit up her entire face and actually made it look ever so attractive too. He blinked slowly as if he was seeing the female species for the first time in his life.

_Wow.._.was the only thing that came to his head.

He noticed the smile slip from her face as her eyes trailed his face. "What?"

Puss cleared his throat and looked away. "Nothing."

"It isn't 'nothing'. You were staring at me like you were judging me."

"I was not."

"Was too."

"Was not."

"Was too!"

"I do not have time to play this game!" he burst out, glaring at her. "Woman, go to sleep."

"My _name_ is Jasmine. And I can't go to sleep in this cold weather."

Puss rolled his eyes, wanting to strangle something but repeated her name in his mind.

_It is nice, I suppose but...not what I would have thought her name would be, _he thought but then shrugged a second later. It didn't really matter to him much.

Puss then took off the cape that always hung around his neck discreetly and pushed it against Jasmine's face.

She glanced at it and then looked at him again, eyes wide with doubt.

"Are you sure?"

_I will not be so sure if you do not take it now,_ he thought, annoyed.

"Si."

Without another word, she took it from his hand and wrapped the cloth around her shaking body. In an instant, it stopped as if it had been the warmth she had been craving. Puss nodded, satisfied, and then turned around again, closing his eyes.

He just wanted to be a cat again and get rid of Jasmine quick.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four:**

"Can I ask you something?"

Puss glanced at the girl and found himself sighing.

"Si. Go ahead," he found himself softly responding.

_Curse him and his soft spot for the ladies!_

"Why were you there? In that forest when I was kidnapped? I know they chose that place because practically no human knew about it."

_Clearly I am not a human, you loco woman,_ he thought, with a scoff. Puss, instead, pressed his lips into a thin line. He didn't want to explain to her. It was not any of her business and he didn't want anyone knowing the embarrassment of a mission which consisted of finding a beautiful princess to kiss.

Instead of getting ready to go and do just that, he found himself glued to the floor they had slept on that morning. "It is not any of your business. I have secrets that I too want to keep, no?"

The woman—Jiya—looked hurt by this. If Puss was a heartless creature then perhaps he would not have said anything. But he was a dumb human being now and he loved women too much that he couldn't help but feel as if he had swallowed a ton of bricks as he watched her face crumble slightly. He sighed. He didn't want to care if he hurt her; he could care less about her, in all honesty.

But, he was a gentleman to all and hurting people's (and non-human feelings) was not what he was about. He was a fair gato to all.

"Very well. I shall share my story with you."

Instantly, the dusky brown-skinned girl's eyes lit up as if he had offered her some good milk. He chuckled to himself at this. At the strange look she gave him, he cleared his throat and stood up. At Jiya's questioning gaze, he resisted the urge to facepalm.

"Let us walk and talk. I do not have much time on my hands, you see." With a nod, they began to walk through the dense forest. Jiya waited patiently for Puss to speak; it was nerve-wracking, to say the least. "I was tricked into drinking a potion and now I am on a big quest to find a princess and my one true love. Without it, I-" he forced a strained voice, sniffling for effect. He glanced over his shoulder to see if it had any effect; her face was scrunched up with what looked like sympathy and her eyes glazed over.

_Aha! So I am still as great an actor as I always was! _

He tried not to snicker at how easy she was to fool and instead, continued his act. "If I do not receive my true love's kiss within a week, I will..." he trailed off, the reality of the situation dawning on him once again, "...forever be cursed." The insincerity left him almost instantly, replaced by graveness. He did deliberately leave out what kind of curse it was and how it had transformed it. However forceful it was, whatever he said was true.

"I see," he heard her mutter from behind him. "What kind of curse is it?"

_Dang her and her curious mind,_ Puss thought bitterly.

"That, my dear, is something I cannot share. It will make me too emotional," he fibbed, sniffling again for effect.

"Oh, I see. I can't imagine being cursed."

Puss couldn't help but let out a bitter chuckle at that as he leapt over a broken trunk. "Si. Before this, neither did I. It is a harsh shove into reality, indeed."

"Well..." Jiya trailed off and involuntarily, he found himself turning to look at her. She was staring at the ground as she walked, fumbling with her twitchy fingers. "If it makes you feel any better, I've been through something similar."

"Really? You have been poisoned and cursed to find a princess and true love in order to be free, too?"

"I mean, no but..." he heard her sigh. "I was accused of falsely stealing from my village. I was only trying to give some food for a little orphan boy."

The gears in his head turned and he tilted his head as he cut down tall grass, that seemed to swallow them every few steps, with his sword. "That means you did steal, yes?"

A defensive splutter came from behind him. "Well—I—that was only because I didn't have any money on me at the time!"

"So, you were not 'falsely' accused of stealing as you did steal."

"I—" She gave up her fight with a sigh. "Yes. But, it was for a child."

That was when he stopped walking. "Wait." He turned around to face her; Jiya startled and straightened up, the gloomy frown on her lips thinning into a horizontal line instead. "You mean to tell me that you were kidnapped for giving food to a kid?"

The frown was back on her face, her shoulders slumped. The action caused her dark hair to fall forwards, creating a curtain on both sides of her face. "Yes. And in my village, stealing is punishable by death. They took me to that house to have me killed in secrecy so no one would see."

Puss didn't realise how real this incident was until he witnessed the absolute exhaustion on the poor girl's face. Her skin, though slightly dark, was pale and there were dark patches under her charcoal eyes. He resisted the urge to try and comfort her. Instead, he turned and continued walking.

"I see. That sounds like a very difficult thing to deal with," he said with a hum, not bothering to comment further. The woman already seemed emotional and he didn't want to make things worse. They walked in silence but he then stopped again.

_Hold on a… _He stopped walking, his nose twitching a little. _W__hy is it taking so long to get to Far Far Away?! _He asked himself, whipping around. They were surrounded by a bunch of trees and tall grass. He face-palmed and dragged his hand down his face as he groaned out loud.

"Great! We are lost in this good for nothing forest!"

"I thought you knew the way?"

"I thought so, too. But by talking, I distracted myself."

"Oh," Jiya whispered from behind him. "Well, maybe we should retrace our steps-"

"You mean, go back the way we came?" he asked, incredulously.

Jiya raised her eyebrows. "Uh yes, that's exactly what I mean."

He thought about this and nodded. There was nothing to lose, following her advice. "Let us go, then." Puss turned and walked past her, leading the way back where they came. He let out a slow breath. "I assume this is going to be a very long journey," he spoke to himself, wanting to go back to the Poison Apple bar and drink some milk till he was out cold.

As they walked back, Puss turned into a clearing that they hadn't gone into before. He had remembered there was a short-cut through there, but didn't exactly know the directions. But, Jiya didn't need to know that. He was Puss in Boots! He would find the way, eventually.

They emerged from the tall grass and into the unknown area was called 'The Crone's Nest', the name written on a lit-up board. Something about the name sent a familiar chill ran down his spine and crawled all the way to his toes, causing them to curl up. This human action caused his sharp eyes to narrow and dart around. Though the place looked like a ghost town with the place surrounded in dark and gloomy fog, he remained frozen. It was silent except for the occasional gentle wind passing through the trees.

"Maybe we should go," Jiya whispered from beside him, now. Puss nodded, eyes flitting about the area to scan for any sign of life. There was none. So, he nodded and they both quietly snuck back into the tall grass. As they both let out a sigh of relief at being out of sight from such a creepy area, all of a sudden, a rustle between the tall grass caught his attention.

Even though he was human, apparently his hearing was still impeccable. He shoved down the urge to smirk as the rustle became more apparent.

Jiya gasped, gulping audibly. "Did you hear that?"

"Course I did." He bent his knees a little, stalking towards it purposefully with slow, careful steps. "Stay here. I shall check it out."

"Wait, don't go!" she whispered from behind him, tone dripping with urgency. "What if it's something dangerous?"

He glanced over his shoulder, irritated, bright pear eyes meeting panicked dark ones. "We will not know unless we see, woman."

"My name is Jiya, _not_ 'woman'!"

"I know it's not 'woman'! Do you think I'm stupid?" She went to open her mouth when his face fell. "Don't answer that." He shook his head. "Look, _Jiya_, I only said what I did because I'm irritated."

"You're not very nice, you know that?"

He rolled his eyes. "And _you_ are not helping," he spat through gritted teeth. The rustle grew louder and just as Puss turned around to part the tall grass, a tiny frog jumped out.

"Ribbit," it croaked, lazily. It glanced at Puss once before hopping away casually. He let out a sigh of relief, letting his shoulders relax.

"Oh. Well, that was easy," Puss said with a shrug as he turned back around to face her. Jiya, on the other hand, looked as stiff as a statue, her eyes wide. He narrowed his eyes, scrutinising her.

"What are y-"

Her trembling hand raised up to point behind him. "Uh..."

As a shadow came up behind him, he had a good idea that he had just jinxed himself. He shut his eyes tight to compose himself before turning around slowly. A group of witches rose into the air on their broomsticks, staring down them with sinister smirks. Both Jiya and Puss stared up at them, speechlessly.

"Look what we have here!" one cackled. "Trespassing on our land, I see?" They gestured behind them. That's when things clicked and Puss refused the urge to facepalm for the billionth time.

_Of course 'The Crone's Nest' was home to the witches of all horrible things, _he thought with a deep growl, frustrated at himself.

Jiya tried to speak up. "I-It was an acci—"

"What do you think, Griselda?" the witch who cackled cut her off and turned to ask the supposed 'leader' who was still staring them down with narrowed eyes. He had seen her multiple times before, but only from afar.

"I think these two need to be taught a lesson," Griselda replied. Puss gripped the edge of his sword, his eyes swiftly calculating how high they were floating above them so that the perfect jump could be made in order to throw them off their broomsticks.

Just then, Jiya let out a nervous laugh, facial features scrunched up together. "Um, we come in peace. So, I really think it's best if we—run!" As if she had successfully tricked them, she turned and split, running away into the forest so fast she was gone in a second.

Puss gulped, sending a quick glare in the direction Jiya had just left. He was left on his own with a horde of green women which was not a dream, but a nightmare.

"Oho, a game of cat and mouse—this should be fun," the leader witch said with a dangerous grin. All of a sudden, the group of witches soared straight for him; unprepared, he suddenly found himself running off in the direction Jiya had gone, too.

The cackles of the witches were getting stronger every second that ticked by and he could feel his heart in his mouth. He growled under his breath as he tried to pump his legs faster. "Curse you human stump legs!" he yelled at himself through heavy pants.

"Aw, baby's gettin' tired, girls."

"I say we make this even more fun!"

One second he was on the floor, and the next, he was flying. Looking up through his ginger hair that was moving wildly, he found that a witch had grabbed onto the collar of his outfit causing him to hang onto the side as she flew. He flailed his arms above him wildly trying to swipe at her hands.

"Get your hands off of me, filthy woman!"

"As you wish, handsome," she purred. Just like that, she flung him as if he was an insect. Instantly, a loud scream left his lips as the world seemed to spin. He soared through the air at an intense speed but things came to a stop once he made contact with something hard and warm, causing him to sprawl onto the floor with whatever (or whoever) it was that he had hit.

A groan from under him made him realise that it was, in fact, a who. He moved away from this unknown object quickly, though cringing as he did so. His head pounded in his ears and he put a hand up to his head, partly to make sure it was still there. Once his eyes cleared, he made eye contact with Jiya who was sitting up from the floor, grabbing her own head.

His blurry eyes then drifted up as the witches raced past above them, cackling. "That should teach you to stay out of our land!" Puss' eyes narrowed and his shoulders slumped as he watched them leave.

"You good for nothing witches," he yelled after them. "We shall meet once again and I shall give you a taste of my human fists!" He froze at the way Jiya looked at him, head tilted as if she was confused. "I mean with my...regular...fists..." With an awkward laugh, he plopped onto his back, staring at the blue sky. As his body calmed itself down, he sighed. "Another day, wasted," he muttered mostly to himself.

A few seconds later, a meek squeak left Jiya's lips.

"Well...not exactly." Puss' ears perked up at the groan mixed with words that were emitted from the woman opposite him.

"What?"

"You said you needed a princess to kiss you by the end of this week right?"

"Yes, but clearly that is not meant to happen," he said, trying not to be depressed. He let his elbows cover his eyes, shielding them from the blindingly joyous sun.

"Um, you might want to take a look at this." The tone that her voice held, one that was filled with awe but also timidity, caused the unfortunate hair and not fur, on his arms to stand up. He automatically sat up and let his arms drop. His eyes went to Jiya first who had stood up now, wordlessly gazing at whatever it was in front of her with her mouth slightly open. So, naturally, he let his eyes gravitate to what she was looking at. At the sight before him, his eyes widened as he took in what was in front of him.

"Holy—" A loud ribbit from the frog that they had seen before echoed throughout the forest as he spoke. It truly was going to be a _very_ long journey.


End file.
